geo.wikisort.org - Mountains

The Kaitake Range, like the neighbouring Pouakai Range, is an eroded and heavily vegetated stratovolcano that formed during the Pleistocene epoch in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. Kaitake is the northwesternmost of the stratovolcanoes in the region. It is about 500,000 years old and last erupted around 350,00 years ago. It collapsed about 250,000 years ago due to the collapse of the Pouakai volcano.

Kaitake Range
Highest point
Peak	Patuha
Elevation	684 m (2,244 ft)
Coordinates	39°09′41″S 173°57′57″E
Geography
Location	North Island, New Zealand

The region was often reshaped after each cone collapse from Mount Taranaki.[1] Kaitake and Pouakai continued to be damaged from the erupting Mount Taranaki volcano.[1] Although Kaitake is largely eroded, the volcanic base of the mountain range is still fairly intact and can be seen as a smooth sloping mountain range from New Plymouth. Kaitake represents some of the oldest inland volcanic activity on the Taranaki peninsula, being younger than only the Sugar Loaf Islands.

Volcanic activity

"At the beginning of Hāwera time a fresh active center arose at Kaitake. It shows no obvious structural relationship with the Sugar Loaves and appears to have been the first activity on a new line. Volcanism from this center continued during three episodes of ring-plain formation alternating with two episodes of marine cliffing, before it became extinct. The agglomerates of the younger two ring plains have been seen to overlie marine sediments deposited during the previous Kaiatea II and III periods of marine cliffing. The volcano produced is now so greatly eroded that the detailed form of the peak is unknown. However, the shape of the lower parts of the volcano, still well preserved, suggests that it was essentially a simple cone on the Egmont plan rather than a complex feature like the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park. After the extinction of the Kaitake center, eruptions broke out at Pouakai 6 miles south-east of Kaitake. Activity from this center continued over a long period of ring-plain formation, a period of marine erosion during which volcanic activity decreased, and part way through another period of ring-plain building, before activity broke out from the next center."[2]

Nearby volcanoes

• Sugar Loaf Islands, 1.7 million years ago[1]
• Pouakai Volcano, 250,000 years ago[1]
• Taranaki Volcano, 127,000 years ago[1]

References

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